Under the same night sky, not far away in another villa—
“Aunt Liu, where’s my uncle?” Zhong Ziang asked as soon as he came in, dropping his basketball.
Aunt Liu handed him a dry towel. “Why are you soaked again? Wipe off… The master just went upstairs.”
“Just now?” Zhong Ziang caught the key word. “So he only just got home?”
“Ten minutes earlier than you.”
“Alright, I’m heading up.”
“You haven’t even wiped your sweat—”
Zhong Ziang looped back, rubbed the towel randomly over his head, face, and neck. “Done.”
Then—thump thump thump—up the stairs he went.
Aunt Liu: “……”
In the study.
Xie Dingyuan sat behind his desk, eyes fixed on his computer screen, his expression thoughtful.
Suddenly, the door was shoved open from outside.
Zhong Ziang burst in like a gust of wind. “Uncle, guess what—”
Xie Dingyuan’s brows furrowed sharply, his gaze frosty. “Don’t you know how to knock?”
“You didn’t lock it though.”
“……”
Zhong Ziang bounced in front of him with a grin.
“Uncle Xie, I’ve got one good news and one bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”
Xie Dingyuan pushed his head aside. “Neither.”
“Come on, play along. I even used an honorific…”
The man turned his head away, clearly unwilling.
Zhong Ziang’s smile fell. “Uncle, you’re too—huh?”
He suddenly froze, as if he’d noticed something, then darted forward and started sniffing around Xie Dingyuan like a puppy.
“What are you doing?” the man frowned and leaned back, openly disgusted.
“Uncle, did you eat hot pot tonight?”
Xie Dingyuan’s eyes flickered. “…Yeah.”
“No way. Are you possessed? You hate hot pot, hotpot-style dipping, BBQ—anything smelly and greasy!”
Zhong Ziang gave him a weird look, like he was facing a stranger.
Xie Dingyuan’s expression stayed neutral. “Thought I’d try it for once.”
“Did you… like it?”
A scene flashed uncontrollably in the man’s mind: Jiang Fuyue leaning down to eat, steam rising from the bubbling broth like a curtain, behind which the girl ate with sweat beading on her nose and lips flushed red, making her skin look even fairer.
Casual and elegant, confident and bright.
“…It was good,” Xie Dingyuan nodded unconsciously.
Zhong Ziang swallowed. “Come to think of it, I haven’t had hot pot in a while either. Why don’t you take me tomorrow?”
Xie Dingyuan shot him a cold glance. “You can’t find your own place? Need me to take you?”
“It’s not that—it’s just boring eating hot pot alone!”
“What about your usual gang of hooligans?”
“In the Imperial Capital, remember…”
Xie Dingyuan choked. “Then your classmates.”
Zhong Ziang pouted. “I don’t get along with anyone in my class. Randomly inviting someone to hot pot? They’ll think I’m trying to poison them.”
Xie Dingyuan: “Then go alone.”
“Tch… Uncle, just admit it—you don’t want to eat hot pot with me. You look down on me!”
The man nodded. “I admit it.”
Zhong Ziang: “?”
“Uncle, you don’t love me anymore… I’m not your baby anymore. Say it—do you have a new dog outside? Is that why you’re treating me so heartlessly?”
“Get out.”
“Fine! I knew it—you do have a dog. Who is it? I’m gonna rip off their little mutt skin!”
Xie Dingyuan’s mouth twitched. “If you’re going to go crazy, do it somewhere else. Don’t lose your mind in front of me.”
Zhong Ziang clutched his chest in agony. “…This humble consort simply cannot comply!”
Xie Dingyuan’s tone turned final: “Last warning. Get out.”
“Fine! If you won’t come, I’ll ask Jiang Fuyue. She loves hot pot—she definitely won’t say no. Oh! And she likes sweets too. After hot pot, we’ll go get cake!”
He turned to leave.
Right—why hadn’t he thought of asking Jiang Fuyue to hot pot before?
What a great opportunity! Relationships develop as you spend time together, right?
“Stop.”
Zhong Ziang turned back. “What now? First you tell me to get out, now you tell me to stop. Uncle, you’re so high-maintenance!”
Xie Dingyuan suppressed his rising irritation. “I’ll go.”
“Huh?”
“You wanted hot pot, right? I’ll make time to take you tomorrow.”
“Hmph! Don’t need you anymore. I’m going with my goddess. Candlelight, moonlight, hot pot and desserts—what’s not to love?”
Like I’d want to go out with a boring old cabbage like you.
“Zhong. Zi. Ang.”
The boy shrank back. “Shouting won’t help. You used to ignore me, and now you can’t reach me!”
Xie Dingyuan nodded, furious. “Fine. Out of reach, huh? Looks like someone’s itching for a beating.”
“No, no, no—don’t come closer! I’m warning you, take one more step and I’ll—”
Xie Dingyuan sneered and stepped forward. “You’ll what?”
“I’ll tell Third Auntie you’re abusing me!”
Xie Dingyuan stopped in his tracks, frowning. “Third Auntie?”
“Yup! She’s coming to Linhuai tomorrow—let’s see if you’re scared.”
Zhong Ziang threw out the threat with a stiff spine, but his expression was pure cowardice.
“That’s the good news you were talking about?”
“Uh… yeah! Uncle, you’d better not touch me—she loves me the most!”
“What’s the bad news?”
“Huh?”
Xie Dingyuan’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Oh, it’s nothing really… she’s bringing a blind date for you.”
“!”
Xie99: Sitting at home, and a blind date falls from the sky?
